Inmarsat, Cobham Solution to be Used by United Airlines’ Boeing 737NG

Cobham Aerospace Communications and Inmarsat have announced entering into a contract for the certification of the AVIATOR 300D satellite communication system on Boeing 737NG aircraft. Photo: Saltwater Stone

Cobham Aerospace Communications, a manufacturer of satellite communications solutions, and Inmarsat entered into a contract for the certification of the Aviator 300D satellite communication system on the Boeing 737NG aircraft. The new Sensitivity Time Control (STC) for the Cobham solution will enable United Airlines to extend Inmarsat’s SB-S satellite Internet Protocol (IP) platform to more of its fleet, bringing the airline more operational efficiencies from the connected flight deck.

Developed and owned by Avionics Support Group (ASG) for the Aviator avionics and Delta G Designs (DGD) for the compact Cobham IGA-5001 Intermediate Gain Antenna, the STCs will cover the Boeing 737, NG, and MAX aircraft and are expected to be available in early 2019.

For the last year, United Airlines has been utilizing Cobham’s Aviator 300D satcom and Inmarsat’s SB-S IP broadband platform on its Boeing 767-300 aircraft in the North Atlantic airspace for communications and surveillance with Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance Contract (ADS-C) messaging. The Aviator 300D and 350D systems aim to provide fast and reliable connectivity on the Inmarsat satellite network, delivering high speed broadband to the cockpit while maintaining security through secure Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) gateways.